The JC IB Tuition Specialists (Page 2)

Attending tuition (like Ms Sim’s A Level H2 Chemistry tuition) is an investment of time and money. Hence, students should make the best use of the tuition lessons to help them in their learning. Here are four things students should do to derive the greatest value from tuition classes:

1. Be committed to attending classes

One may think that turning up for tuition lessons is an easy thing to do but you will be surprised to find out that some students aren’t able to do it. Students need to commit and make it a habit to attend tuition classes. When students do not turn up for lessons regularly, the momentum is lost and in the long run, they will lose the discipline altogether in attending the classes. Attending weekly tuition classes is a crucial first step towards helping students achieve good results.

2. Complete the homework

Questions are often assigned to students to help them gain more practice to be better in the subject. However, many students often do not do the homework at all or did very little before coming for the class. Hence, they end up going through the motion during tuition classes as they have nothing to clarify because they have not completed the work.

3. Be proactive in asking questions

In order to ask questions, students need to complete the homework. After the completion of the homework, students need to take the opportunity to clarify with the tutor on questions that they encounter difficulties in. Remember, do not feel awkward in asking questions and don’t self-censor the questions that you want to ask! Tuition is meant to help students clarify their queries and no one should judge the questions that are asked!

4. Adopt a learning stance

At times, especially in group tuition, some students will think that they know very well the content of a topic that is covered and do not want to pay attention when tutors are going through the content. Actually, students will be surprised that even when it is content that they think they know well, students who adopt a learning stance and not have a “I know it all” attitude will often find that they gained new insights even if they are not hearing the content for the first time. Research has shown that learning is effective after rounds of repetition.

Attitude towards learning will be the single most important factor that will help students maximise the value they derive from tuition. Just like most tutors who work hard to prepare for the lessons, students must be prepared to work equally hard to maximise learning. To all the students out there, you need to own and be responsible for your learning!

About The JC & IB Tuition Specialists: We are formed by a group of dedicated tutors who specialize in providing JC H2 Chemistry tuition, JC H2 Maths tuition, and JC H2 Physics tuition.

Having met cohorts of students from our A Level Chemistry tuition, we get a lot of opportunities to speak with parents and one of the more common topics is about the choice the family had to make in deciding on post-secondary education.

Here are 3 things you should know to help your child decide the pathway for post-secondary education.

There are now more pathways for students to choose from after they complete their secondary education. Students can choose to further their education through different pathways that lead to one of the following qualifications:

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme
• GCE A Level Certificate
• Diploma from one of the polytechnics

Each pathway has its own set of merits and it really depends on the strength of the student and what he likes to get out of post-secondary education. Here are three things parents need to know:

1. Type of post-secondary education experience wanted by your child

If your child is looking for a more practical experience in his education, studying in a polytechnic would be a good option for him as polytechnic education will provide students with industry exposure through job attachments. If your child is looking for learning that focuses on critical thinking, pursuing a JC or IB education would be the right choice. IB education is more suited for students who like to be assessed throughout the year through tests and research projects that they work on while JC education is more suited for students who like to be assessed through one major examination which is the A Levels.

2. Strengths of the child

Every child is gifted and has his own unique talents. Some are more academically inclined and they will be more suited for a JC or IB education whereas others are good at hands on stuff which will suit them well for a polytechnic education.

3. Life after completion of post-secondary education

If your child would like to step into the workforce after his post-secondary education, pursuing a polytechnic education will give your child better career prospects and a more attractive pay. If your child intends to continue to pursue his studies after completion of his post-secondary education, a JC or IB education would be a better choice.

All pathways are good and the assumptions of having a JC or IB education as better than the polytechnic education are not valid. The important thing is to maximise the potential of your child based on his gifts!

About The JC & IB Tuition Specialists: We are formed by a group of dedicated tutors who specialize in providing H2 Chemistry tuition, H2 Maths tuition, and H2 Physics tuition in Singapore.

Career Options for University Graduates in Chemistry

The employment world for chemistry graduates in Singapore can be divided into three main areas of application: Research & Development, Analysis and Higher Education. Each area of application offers a wide range of career options and here are some possible careers that are worth exploring for the different areas of application:

1. Research & Development

Graduates with a Chemistry degree can pursue a career as a Chemist by doing applied research in different industries such as agrochemical, pharmaceutical and personal care. Jobs as chemists require them to apply what they learnt in school to real world issues and develop products that meet a specific need which considers the needs of the business and industry.

2. Analysis

In the specialised areas of analytical science and forensic science, graduates can pursue a career as a Scientific Officer or Laboratory Officer if they decide to apply what they know to perform analysis and conduct investigative work.

3. Higher Education

Graduates who are interested to teach the future generations can pursue a career in Higher Education can consider teaching Chemistry in Junior Colleges or pursue an academic career in universities.

Decide which area of application interests you in the field of Chemistry and pursue a career that speaks to your interest! If you are already enrolled in Ms Sim’s JC Chemistry tuition lessons, feel free to consult her on your options as well.

Have you ever wonder how transition lens work?

These photochromic lenses darken when exposed to bright light and will gradually return to their clear state in the absence of radiation when one walks indoors. They are good substitutes of sunglasses as they can reduce up to 80% of the transmitted light.  The change in colour in response to light can be explained by redox reactions.

During the manufacturing process, silver chloride (AgCl) and copper(I) chloride (CuCl) crystrals are added to the molten glass in its molten state and these crystals are evenly distributed in the glass.

Silver chloride is susceptible to undergo redox reaction in the presence of light as described below:

Cl^– ———–> Cl + e^–
oxidation

Ag⁺ + e^– ———> Ag
reduction

The chloride ions are oxidized to produce chlorine atoms and an electron. The electron is then transferred to silver ions to produce silver atoms. These atoms cluster together and block the transmittance of light, causing the lenses to darken. This process is reversible which allows the lenses to become transparent again.

The presence of copper (I) chloride reverses the darkening process. When the lenses are removed from the light, the following reactions occur:

Cl + Cu⁺ ——> Cu²⁺+ Cl^–

The chlorine atoms formed by the exposure to light are reduced by the copper ions, preventing their escape as gaseous atoms. The copper (+1) ion is oxidized to produce copper (+2) ions, which then reacts with the silver atoms:

Cu²⁺ + Ag ——> Cu⁺+ Ag⁺

The effect of these reactions is that the lenses become transparent again because the silver and chloride atoms are converted to their original oxidized and reduced states.

This is just one example of Chemistry in our daily life. Find out more about how Chemistry applies to everyday occurrences in Ms Sim’s A Level Chemistry tuition class.

About The JC & IB Tuition Specialists: We are formed by a group of dedicated tutors who specialize in providing H2 Chemistry tuition, H2 Maths tuition, and H2 Physics tuition in Singapore.

As parents who want the best for our children and recognising the leap in standards between O level Chemistry and A level Chemistry, parents need to decide whether or not their child needs Chemistry tuition in JC. Here are three considerations that will help parents make an informed decision on whether or not to send your child for Chemistry tuition!

1) Pure Chemistry Or Combined Science At O Levels

If your child has taken Combined Science at O Levels, it could be tough for your child to cope with A Level Chemistry due to the gulf in standards on the content was covered in Combined Science as compared to A Level Chemistry. Hence if your child has taken Combined Science, it is very likely that your child would need additional help in A Level Chemistry.

2) Grade Attained For O Level Pure Chemistry

Due to the huge leap in difficulty between O and A Level Chemistry, if your child has scored an A2 or below for O Levels, parents are strongly advised to send their child for Chemistry tuition.

3) Looking At Percentile Rather Than Grade

Parents often look at grades to determine how good or bad their child is doing. The truth is that it is the percentile, and not the grade, that predicts how well a student will perform in the A Level examinations. For example, if a particular junior college has on average 50% of its students scoring A’s in their A Level Chemistry, and if your child has scored B (but is ranked at the 55th percentile), it is likely that he/she will score an A in Chemistry as he/she is above the 50th percentile. On the contrary, if your child scored an A but is in the 35th percentile, it is unlikely that he/she will score an A in the A Level Chemistry examination as he/she is below the 50th percentile. To sum, a student’s final grade is relative to the cohort performance. Hence it is the percentile score that matters!

About The JC & IB Tuition Specialists: We are formed by a group of dedicated tutors who specialize in providing H2 Chemistry tuition, H2 Maths tuition, and H2 Physics tuition in Singapore.